So, what can you do to protect your PC from being hacked? Or how can you add an extra layer of security to your Windows PC?
The answer is simple, by creating a Startup Disk. Now, question arises, what is this Startup Disk? A Startup Disk is a floppy disk that contains database for Windows User Authentication. User Authentication information is encrypted in “StartupKey.key” file but you need a floppy drive or Drive A to save this Startup Key Disk.

Now, problem is that computers don’t have floppy drives these days. So, how would we create a Startup Disk?
As you know the drive letter for Floppy Drive is A, just like Drive letter for Windows partition is C. If we change the drive letter of our USB Drive to “A” anyhow, then Windows will recognize this USB drive as floppy drive and we would be able to use this USB drive to store Startup Disk and protect our Windows.

Now, let’s start creating Startup Disk–

What do we need:

A USB Drive of any size.

Process:

Step 1

First we will change the drive letter of our USB drive to A:

For doing this, we will use Disk Management Utility. Press Windows Key + R to launch RUN utility, type in diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Step 3

A small window will open with name, ‘Securing The Windows Account Database’. Radio-button next to Encryption Enabled will be checked, leave it as it is. Click on Update button.

Step 4

A new Startup Key window will open; check the box next to System Generated Password, if not checked already. And under this, there will be two options, Store Startup Key on Floppy Disk and Store Startup Key Locally. Check the box next to Store Startup Key on Floppy Disk and click OK.

It will ask you to enter a floppy drive into Drive A:

Just insert your USB Drive, Windows will recognize this USB drive as Floppy Drive (As we made it Drive A in Step 1 and Step 2). The Startup Key will be stored on your USB drive. Click OK to continue.

You will see a success message. Click OK to exit message.

Your Startup Disk is ready.

Step 5

Now, time to check if it works or not. Unplug your USB drive from your PC and restart your Windows.

On startup Windows will ask you to enter the disk that contains Startup Key.

Just plug your USB drive into your PC and click OK, it will show you logon screen.

You can login now using your credentials.

How To Disable Startup Key Disk Feature?

If you want to undo this, just follow the same method and this time check the box next to Store Startup Key Locallyand click OK.

You can’t even lead to logon screen without inserting this Startup Disk into your PC. If anyone can’t see logon screen, he can’t login. Even if someone knows your password, he can’t login because he will not see Login screen.

PLEASE NOTE THAT LOSING THIS DISK WILL MAKE YOUR COMPUTER INACCESSIBLE! KEEP YOUR USB IN SAFE PLACE AND COPY “StartKey.Key” FILE FROM YOUR USB TO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

So, now you see how it is an extra layer of security. Enjoy, Have fun!